Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’ Gets A Writing Staff Shakeup

Aaron Sorkin's 'The Newsroom' Gets A Writing Staff Shakeup

It was little over a year ago that Aaron Sorkin was celebrating an honor that (arguably) represents the pinnacle of his craft – an Academy Award – but after airing just four episodes of his new show “The Newsroom” things are looking considerably less rosy. Sorkin hasn’t had the easiest time on television before, but the likes of “Sports Night” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” at least had the backing of the critics even when they struggled to find an audience to sate their networks. But while anticipation was high for Sorkin’s return to the small screen, by an large critics don’t seem to have warmed to his recent work as they have in the past and some have really given “The Newsroom” a kicking.

Now you can take this latest news coming from the show with a pinch of salt if you like, because Olivia Munnsays it’s bullshit – but we’re not so sure. The whispers coming from the HBO show are that Sorkin has fired his entire writing staff save for Corinne Kinsbury, who happens to be Sorkin’s ex-girlfriend. Oh, and he hasn’t fired himself either, of course. The show got an early second season renewal (as did “Veep” and “Girls”) and if the rumors are true it looks like Sorkin is trying to shake things up for that second season and perhap address some of the shortcomings audiences and critics have pointed out.

Sorkin has a writing credit on all ten episodes of this first season but that’s not to say that he does it all himself, but his is probably a less collaborative writers room than others. There are seven other writers credited on the show and we guess we don’t know how much input they really have, but if Sorkin is sending them out to pasture then he must not be pleased with their current input. “Every year each show reassesses the needs of its writing staffs. This process is nothing out of the ordinary,” HBO said in a statement, without specifying the extent of the changes on the show. Is this Sorkin admitting his show has problems, or is it simply a case of him want to mix things up? Or is it all really bullshit as Olivia Munn suggests? The truth probably lies somewhere in between, but whatever the case, we hope “The Newsroom” becomes a better show for it. [The Daily/The Wrap]